Vice President Rob Livesey elected for another year
NFU Scotland members voted through a number of constitutional changes at the Annual General meeting on 11 February 2016.
Following extensive consultation in recent months, the following changes were approved:
- formalising a proxy vote system for the election of committee chairman and regional chairman;
- removal of the five year rule for Board members to be replaced with a five year limitation on any regional chairman position or committee chairman position;
- the requirement for members who wish to stand for election as committee chairman or regional chairman to be nominated at least five days in advance of the election.
As well as this, on Friday 12 February, current Vice President Rob Livesey was re-elected. Nominations opened in November for one of two positions of Vice President at the Union. Only one nomination was received by the closing date of 14 December.
That means the Mr Livesey, from the Borders, was the sole nomination at the NFUS Council meeting today (Friday). Rob was first elected as vice president in 2013.
Under the terms of the NFU Scotland constitution, those elected to the position of vice president will initially serve for two years before the post reverts to an annual election. As Dumfriesshire farmer Andrew McCornick was elected to the position of VP in February 2015 for the first time, his position was not open for re-election.
NFU Scotland Chief Executive Scott Walker commented: “The President and Vice Presidents work together as a strong effective team ensuring that Scottish agriculture is heard and listened too in the political corridors of Europe, Westminster and Holyrood.
“Alongside committee and regional chairmen this team influences the rules and regulations that impact on farmers, growers and crofters and work to develop opportunities that will allow us to secure a fair margin on what is produced on Scottish farms.
“Good governance is an ongoing process and the agreed changes are largely a tiding up exercise. NFU Scotland’s constitution is always being reviewed and on that basis these changes were discussed at regional meetings held last year and the start of this year. They have now been approved by the membership and will now be implemented.”
Ends
Contact Ruth McClean on 0131 472 4108